Lance Armstrong

3:15 pm

Wed February 20, 2013

Lance Armstrong Will Not Cooperate With USADA Doping Probe

Lance Armstrong, during the interview with Oprah Winfrey that was recorded Monday and began airing Thursday night.

George Burns/Oprah Winfrey NetworkGetty Images

Lance Armstrong will not cooperate with a United States Anti-Doping Agency probe into doping in the cycling world.

Bloomberg reports Armstrong missed a deadline set by USADA today. Armstrong's lawyer said he would not cooperate because the probe was too narrow.

Bloomberg adds:

"Armstrong, who was stripped of his record seven Tour de France championships in August and banned for life from Olympic- level sports by Colorado Springs, Colorado-based USADA, had until today to agree to testify before the organization in hopes of having the length of his ban reduced.

"'Lance will not participate in USADA's efforts to selectively conduct American prosecutions that only demonize selected individuals while failing to address the 95% of the sport over which USADA has no jurisdiction,' Armstrong's attorney Tim Herman said in an e-mailed statement."

USA Today reports Travis Tygart, USADA's CEO, said his organization learned from the media that Armstrong would miss the deadline. Armstrong, said Tygart, "led us to believe that he wanted to come in and assist USADA, but was worried of potential criminal and civil liability if he did so."

The AP reports that Armstrong's lawyer said the athlete "is willing to participate in an international effort to clean up a sport that is based mostly in Europe."

Tygart said the World Anti-Doping Agency has told Armstrong that helping the American agency is the right way to go.